Suffolk County

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Chimney Company Garden City South NY

Why Chimney Cleaning is So Important

When Nassau and Suffolk County homeowners need to have their chimneys cleaned or repaired, Chimney King is the first place they call. Since 1982, this full-service chimney care company has been ensuring that the chimneys of Long Islanders are functioning properly and safely. Their team of professionals, which includes local firefighters, provides a wide-range of services for all of your chimney care needs. With Chimney King, you can have confidence knowing that your chimney is in tip-top condition.

As the weather on Long Island starts turning crisp and the days draw shorter, a fireplace becomes the centerpiece of your home. There’s nothing better than cozying up in front of a roaring fire with the ones that you love, but before you even think about lighting one, make sure you schedule an appointment to have your chimney inspected and cleaned. According to the National Fire Protection Association reports that approximately every 86 seconds, US fire departments respond to 56,000 home fires that involved heating equipment between 2009 and 2913. The failure to clean chimneys is the leading cause of home-heating fires, and these fires are usually the result of an accumulation of creosote in chimneys.

Chimney fires are among the most dangerous types of home fires. They cause billions of dollars in property damage, and they are responsible for thousands of injuries and deaths each year. Given the prevalence of chimney-related fires, and how devastating these types of fires can be, it’s important to have your chimney professionally cleaned on a regular basis.

How can you tell if your chimney needs to be cleaned? How often should cleanings occur? Below, you’ll find the answers to these questions and more.

Why Do Chimneys Need to Be Cleaned?

A crackling fire brings warmth and ambiance to your home on cold days and nights, but if your chimney is dirty, instead of bringing peacefulness, your fireplace can create devastation.

Fires create a more than just warmth; they also produce a number of byproducts, including creosote and soot. These byproducts accumulate along the inside of the chimney and flue, and they are extremely flammable. As these byproducts buildup, whenever you light a fire, there’s a chance that your chimney – and your entire house – will go up in flames.

Creosote and soot aren’t the only dangerous elements that can collect in a chimney. It’s not uncommon for outdoor debris, such as leaves and branches, to collect in the flue. Animals can also build nests in a chimney. This is especially true if your chimney cap is damaged or missing.

How to Tell if Your Chimney Needs to be Cleaned

There are a number of signs that indicate the buildup of creosote and soot in your chimney has reached dangerous levels, or that there’s an accumulation of debris or animal nests in your chimney. If you answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, extinguish that fire right away:

Is it taking a long time for the fire to start?

Does it appear as if the fire is dimly burning?

Is smoke pouring out of the fireplace when a fire is lit?

Do you smell any strange odors coming from the fireplace?

Do you feel cold air coming out of the fireplace?

Can you not recall when the last time was that you had your chimney cleaned?

Have your chimney never been cleaned?

How Often Should Your Chimney be Cleaned?

The National Fire Protection Association recommends annual chimney inspections and cleanings. However, if you use you use your chimney on a constant basis, it’s a good idea to have it inspected and cleaned twice a year: once in the fall and once in the spring.

Even if you don’t use your fireplace regularly, it’s still a wise idea to have it checked and swept annually. Animals can nest in the flue, leaves, branches, and other debris can collect inside, or the chimney could become damaged and structurally unsound.

For Professional Chimney Cleaning You Can Count On, Contact Chimney King Today!

Don’t put your home or your family at risk. At Chimney King, we have a saying: “A Clean

Chimney is a Happy Chimney”. Our team of professionals will fully inspect the structure and use state-of-the-art tools and techniques to clean your chimney and ensure it’s safe to use.

Don’t delay; contact Chimney King to schedule a cleaning today! Call 516.766.1666 in Nassau, 631.225.2600 in Suffolk, or drop us a line at chimneyking@optonline.net